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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. swing — music
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com